Florida State Seminoles Embarrassed by Oklahoma Sooners: FSU Lessons Learned
The Florida State Seminoles and head coach Jimbo Fisher had their first big test this past weekend in Norman, Oklahoma.
And they failed.
Miserably.
Regardless of the Seminole's embarrassing 47-17 blowout at the hands of the Sooners, Saturday was still a huge day for the rebuilding program.
Here's what Florida State and college football fans can take away from Fisher's first test.
Christian Ponder's Heisman Run Is Officially Over
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Many Florida State followers questioned whether or not it was a good idea for the Seminoles' to launch a Heisman campaign for their senior quarterback, Christian Ponder.
Well, they don't have to worry about those questions any more, because after yesterday's debacle it's pretty safe to say that Christian Ponder's name will no longer be included in any remaining Heisman discussions this year.
Oh, and if it makes Florida State fans feel any better, neither will the University of Miami's Jacory Harris, who threw four interceptions against Ohio State this past Saturday.
Regarding his display on Saturday, Ponder looked extremely sharp on Florida State's opening drive, but it all fell apart after that.
However, don't be so quick to throw your quarterback under the bus, Florida State fans. Ponder worked with what he had, and didn't get help from the defense, which was repeatedly dominated by the Sooner offense all afternoon.
He also didn't have much help from his receivers, who struggled to gain any separation all day, thus providing extremely limited open looks for Ponder.
These aren't excuses to sugar coat Ponder's play on Saturday, but rather to simply put things in perspective for Florida State fans who might want to blame the team's performance solely on No. 7.
Ponder had a truly horrible outing, but the rest of the team's poor play only magnified this.
On the bright side, this poor performance could end up being a good thing for the senior play-caller.
On Saturday it appeared as if Ponder was tentative and worried about making mistakes. He didn't look like himself and was overly cautious.
Now he no longer has the weight of performing for the Heisman trophy and can just focus on getting wins.
The Defense Still Isn't Ready
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After finishing last season ranked 108th nationally in total defense, Florida State fans were hoping the hires of Mark Stoops and Greg Hudson would be the answers for turning around the unit.
And they still very well might be.
It's just too early to tell.
Florida State's defense looked eerily similar to last year's, giving Seminole fans fits. Entering the half, the Sooners had already amounted over 300 yards of offense.
The root of the problem once again goes back to the defensive line, as Florida State's players were simply over-matched and undersized lining up against the Sooners.
Florida State had seemingly zero ability to penetrate Landry Jones' pocket all game, aside from one lone sack.
This inability to penetrate causes big problems, particularly against the short pass which is exactly what Oklahoma proceeded to call all afternoon.
And missed tackle after missed tackle, the woes continued to pile up for Stoops and Hudson.
The issues on the defensive line won't go away either. It's a problem that takes time to fix as the only solution is to add size to the players.
Until then, Stoops and Hudson will have to deal with what they have.
Jimbo Fisher Got a Wake-Up Call
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Head coach Jimbo Fisher has high expectations from Florida State fans and rightfully so.
As most college football fans know, this season is the first time the Seminoles have lined up for someone other than Bobby Bowden in 34 years.
Fisher made many changes to the program since taking the helm, including his own coaching staff. He hired a new strength and conditioning coach, a team nutritionist, and even a team psychologist.
Optimism was in no short supply regarding Fisher heading into the Seminoles' matchup against the Sooners, especially after a positive spring game and a feel good opening route against Samford.
That optimism has been quickly erased, and some Florida State fans are overreacting already calling for Fisher's head.
Florida State fans, relax.
Fisher and the team may have been a little overconfident heading into Saturday, but remember it was only his second game as head coach of what can be called a completely different program from last year with all of the changes made.
Don't be surprised if Fisher and his staff make adjustments accordingly and come out with a huge win against Brigham Young in Tallahassee on Saturday.
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Championship Teams Aren't Made Overnight
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As high as expectations may have been this offseason for the Seminoles, Florida State's fans need to have realistic expectations.
And as seen with Saturday's loss, expecting a championship in a head coach's first year is extremely unrealistic.
Nick Saban went 7-6 in his first season at Alabama. One of those losses included a loss to the University of Lafayette-Monroe.
See? Things are not as bad as they may appear to be, Seminole faithful.
Adjustments take time, new schemes aren't learned in just one offseason, and new players take time to get used to the college level.
It's as simple as that.
It would be unfair and unrealistic to expect the Seminoles to come out and perform flawlessly against a top 10 opponent in Fisher's second game at Florida State.
However, the good news is Florida State's realistic goal of winning the ACC is still in tact. Fisher and his team still have time to regroup, get their game plan together, and compete for an ACC title.
Florida State is probably one more year away from competing consistently at a national level once again. All it's going to take is a little time.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
